Raw Milk FAQ's

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posted on

July 13, 2024

Good morning!

Raw milk is one of the most popular products that we sell! We're currently at around 265 families that are subscribers and there are new people showing up to buy our milk every week!🥛🙋‍♀️

With all this excitement around our milk, I thought it would be nice to share some info on what makes raw milk so healthy, the safety of raw milk (including recent bird flu misinformation), and also answer some common questions!

What Makes Raw Milk So Healthy?

Pasteurized milk is heated to high temperatures to kill any bacteria or pathogens and most is also homogenized by forcing it through tiny holes at high pressure to break apart the cream molecules so the cream doesn't rise to the top.

The problem is that these processes alter the milk proteins and make it hard for our bodies to recognize! I believe this is a major contributor to why so many people have lactose intolerance! Interestingly, surveys have shown that around 80% of people that are lactose intolerant can handle raw milk just fine and many of our customers have found this to be true!!!

This chart says a lot!

(used by permission from RAWMI)

Raw milk has a wide array of essential nutrients, fats, proteins, anti-inflammatory and digestive enzymes, bioavailable vitamins, and minerals that are easily utilized by the body because they are in their natural form!

Drinking raw milk has been shown to lower rates of ear infections, runny noses, fevers, and respiratory infections and it even reduces allergies like asthma, allergies, eczema!

I love hearing our customers share how this super food has helped them in their health journey in ways similar to these testimonials!

Is Raw Milk Safe?

It depends on who you ask! According to some institutions, raw milk is dangerous and should be banned from being sold! But there may be more to the story...

According to the article "Two Types of Raw Milk" from the Raw Milk Institute (RAWMI):

"It is important to note that there is no such thing as a perfectly safe food. An analysis of foodborne illnesses from 2009-2015 showed that the top food categories commonly linked to illnesses were chicken, pork, and seeded vegetables. Pasteurized milk is not perfectly safe, either, and is implicated in foodborne illnesses and outbreaks every year. The CDC outbreak and illness data which is used to assert that raw milk is unsafe does not distinguish raw milk intended for pasteurization from raw milk that is carefully produced and intended for direct human consumption."

Quoting from RAWMI again:
"Recently, researchers from Canada and Europe have studied the safety of raw milk intended for direct human consumption. They have found that carefully produced raw milk is a low-risk food which is fundamentally different from pre-pasteurized milk."

What About Bird Flu in Dairy Cattle?

(used by permission from RAWMI)

Concerns over the avian influenza being found in dairy cattle have been in the news the past several months, with several health agencies recommending that people don't drink raw milk because of the possibility of the virus transmitting to humans through raw milk.

When a customer asked me early on what I thought, my response was that "My general feeling is that healthy animals being raised in their natural environment on pasture with fresh air and sunshine rather than in confinement are going to be a lot less susceptible to disease! But, that's not to say that we couldn't ever have an issue."

As more info has come in I've become even less concerned about the bird flu in dairy cattle and view it more as a scare tactic.

According to RAWMI, "Recent risk communications from CDC , FDA, and USDA regarding transmission of influenza A sub-type H5N1 (highly pathogenic avian influenza virus or HPAI) to humans via raw milk include no supporting evidence of viral transmission from raw milk to humans in the peer-reviewed literature.

CDC and USDA reported that the HPAI strains recently isolated in the US lack the genetic markers for viruses adapted to infect humans. An extensive body of scientific evidence from the peer-reviewed literature introduced herein does not support the assumption by these US government agencies that HPAI transmits to humans via milkborne or foodborne routes and causes disease. Nor does the scientific evidence support the recommendation that consumers should avoid raw milk and raw milk products."

You can read the full article from RAWMI and also another article from realmilk. com that gives more information on this topic including talking about the antiviral properties of raw milk.

Should I drink raw milk when I'm pregnant?

Once again, you'll have to decide who to believe! Personally,I choose to stick with what humans have done for thousands of years vs. the health ideas of the last century and the declining health that has resulted!

The Weston A. Price Foundation studies traditional cultures around the world to see what makes them so much healthier than western civilization. Their recommendation for pregnant and nursing mothers is to drink 1 quart of whole raw pasture-fed milk per day! They mention that "Folate from raw milk is accompanied by a protein that doubles its absorption." Their recommendations for mothers also include other nutrient dense foods like liver, egg yolks, and cod liver oil.

Another thing to note is that if you are unable to breastfeed your baby, Weston A. Price has a raw milk baby formula recipe that is much healthier than boughten formula!

Should I give my toddler raw milk?

ABSOLUTELY! My two daughters LOVE our raw milk! Like was mentioned at the top, including raw milk in your child's diet is shown to lower rates of ear infections, runny noses, fevers, and respiratory infections and it even reduces allergies like asthma, allergies, and eczema!

Growing children need lots of high quality nutrients, and that is just what raw milk has to offer!

So, how about you? Are you excited because you've experienced improved health from drinking raw milk? If you have I'd love to hear about it!

I welcome any feedback and also feel free to send questions my way as well!

Have a blessed weekend!

~ Corbin

Prairie Creek Pastures

Raw Life or Sterile Death?

Good morning! I go way back – thousands of years actually. I was a huge part in the success of society; making the youth grow strong with my rich nutrition, helping digestion with my enzymes, boosting people's immune systems, and preventing allergies with my special compounds. People even let me sit at room temperature so I could work with other good guys to make probiotic rich superfoods like kefir, yogurt, clabbered milk, cultured buttermilk, cultured cream, and raw cheese. Everyone who interacted with me came away better because of our relationship!💪 But then something happened... In the mid 1800's some dairies were moving into big cities. The problem was that the cities didn't have pastures or clean water. The cows were kept in deplorable conditions and also fed byproducts from alcohol distilleries that made the cows sick. People started getting sick from me - some even died.😔 Their solution? KILL EVERYTHING in me by pasteurizing! And it has continued to this day... Now, when you set me out at room temperature, I rot instead of fermenting. Without enzymes, absorption of my nutrients is like trying to eat saltines without water. People's bodies react to me because my proteins are unrecognizable. It's demoralizing being rejected.😢 BUT I HAVE HOPE! People are starting to come around to the idea that RAW LIFE is better than STERILE DEATH. That what has nourished them for thousands of years might be a good idea. That maybe I do have something to offer them! I feel like I'm becoming a celebrity with the number of people that are finding out about the raw me!🥳 GO RAW MILK! Raw Milk - Nature’s Superfood According to the Raw Milk Institute (RAWMI) "In many ways, raw milk is similar to breastmilk: both are completely natural, fresh, and unprocessed milks. They both contain a wide variety of essential nutrients, fats, proteins, anti-inflammatory and digestive enzymes, bioavailable vitamins, and minerals, all in a natural form which is most easily utilized by the body." Raw Milk Helps Lactose Intolerance "In addition, raw milk facilitates production of lactase enzyme in the intestinal tract, allowing many people who are lactose intolerant to digest raw milk with no problems." Conventional medicine will tell you that raw milk does not help with lactose intolerance. However, one of their often cited studies is based on a very small sample size of 16 people as well as using a testing method that is questionable in its accuracy. Personally, we've had numerous people report that while they are unable to drink pasteurized milk, they are able to drink our raw milk just fine without any discomfort or reaction! For ones who have been off of dairy for years, this is a major breakthrough! In one survey of 155 raw milk drinkers who had been diagnosed with lactose intolerance by a healthcare professional, 76% reported that they did not have any symptoms when drinking raw milk! In addition to our milk being raw, we've also chosen to select cows that have the A2A2 gene. The difference between A2A2 and A1A1 is a gene mutation that some cows carry that developed several thousand years ago. When A1 milk is broken down in your gut, it releases a potentially harmful opiode BCM-7. A2A2 milk on the other hand does not release BCM-7 and is the original milk that humans have consumed for thousands of years. Many people who struggle with the A1 gene in milk handle A2A2 milk much better. Dr. Sina McCullough also notes that for people with gluten sensitivity or celiac disease, A1 milk can elicit a immune response similar to eating gluten due to A1 milk looking similar to gluten to the body. As a final comment, I wanted to mention that while many people do have success with our A2A2 raw milk, there are some people whose bodies are still not able to handle even our milk. Raw Milk Reduces Asthma, Allergies, & Fevers Numerous studies have shown benefits to drinking raw milk in reducing Asthma, Allergies, and Fevers. According to RAWMI: "One study of over 8,000 children showed that raw milk consumption is associated with significantly lower rates of asthma and allergies. Another study of over 4,000 children found that consumption of raw milk was associated with a strong protective effect against eczema. And finally, a study of over 900 children concluded that, "Early life consumption of raw cow's milk reduced the risk of manifest respiratory infections and fever by about 30%"." Our customers have also shared first hand experience of allergies improving when they start drinking our raw milk! Regeneratively Pastured = Nutrient Dense Raw Milk I recently attended a presentation by Dr. Allen Williams – a leading researcher and practitioner in regenerative farming. He presented some mind blowing numbers comparing the nutrient density of milk from regeneratively pastured cows to conventional confinement cow milk. In the slides below, the center column is the best regenerative dairy's numbers, while the column to the right is the mean (average) of all the regenerative milk samples. This is as compared to conventional confinement milk. I don't know about you, but I am impressed! You are getting many times the nutrients in your milk when you get it from a farm that practices regenerative grazing like we do! It gets even better when you keep the milk raw instead of pasteurizing it. Raw milk contains compounds that encourage the growth of large numbers of lactobacillus and bifidobacterial in the gut. These help to build a balanced gut microbiome as well as increasing the absorption of essential nutrients such as minerals, vitamins, folate, and B12. Sign me up!🙋‍♂️ Safety of Raw Milk It is important to note that there is no such thing as a perfectly safe food. According to RAWMI, "An analysis of foodborne illnesses from 2009-2015 showed that the top food categories commonly linked to illnesses were chicken, pork, and seeded vegetables. Pasteurized milk is not perfectly safe, either, and is implicated in foodborne illnesses and outbreaks every year." An independent assessment of raw milk risks from 2000-2007, showed that there was a 1 in 94,000 chance of becoming ill from drinking raw milk, and a 1 in 6 million chance of being hospitalized. In 2007 there were around 9.4 million people drinking raw milk in the U.S., and despite increasing legal distribution and an explosion in consumer interest and consumption, the outbreak rate per capita has come down significantly since then. The best way to verify the safety of your milk is to make sure that you are getting it from a farm that has a high standard of cleanliness! As a verification of our milk's safety, we follow a routine testing protocol that verifies that we are continuing to produce clean, safe milk. Finally, at the end of milk bottling, the crew will often drink some of the milk - not as a test of safety - but because they love it and trust it completely! Raw Milk as Medicine Interestingly, raw milk has been used as a cure for many diseases by reputable doctors in the past. Dr J.E. Crewe MD, one of the founders of the Mayo Foundation, successfully used raw milk in his medical practice for over 15 years. I also recently learned from RAWMI that, "From 1893-1999, the American Association of Medical Milk Commissions (AAMMC) certified clean, safe raw milk for human consumption and even medical therapeutic use. This certified raw milk was recognized to be of therapeutic benefit for infants, children, and adults. This milk was used effectively in hospitals around the United States and was used to treat a wide variety of chronic diseases, including cardiovascular disease, renal disease, liver disease, hypertension, edema, asthma, arthritis, tuberculosis, and diabetes." Wow, wouldn't that be amazing if hospitals treated patients with raw milk again!💥 So there you have it! My story going back thousands of years and how I'm making a comeback again today. Which version of me will you choose? My RAW LIFE amazing self that has nourished your ancestors for thousands of years? Or my unrecognizable STERILE version that has been pushed for the last hundred plus years because of dirty farming practices in the 1800's? If you are ready to give me a try you're at the right place! Click the link below and let's meet up. I don't think you'll be sorry!😀🥛 Shop Raw Milk!Sincerely, Your FarmerCorbinPrairie Creek Pastures